The Dr. Daliah Show

A 6th case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in Clark County, Nevada. The Southern Nevada Health District has declared an “outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases” following new cases of the virus being reported.

This summer has been a wetter season in the Southwest, most likely causing an uptick in mosquito activity.

It’s in the family of Flaviviridae in which the disease is vector transmitted, such as by ticks, or mosquitos, and can infect mammals as hosts. West Nile is in the same family as Zika, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, and Japanese Encephalitis.

Culex genus/species of mosquitos are the usual culprit. They feed from evening to morning, hence are more active during those times.

How is West Nile transmited?
A mosquito contracts the disease while feeding on an infected bird and then can transmit it to humans.

What are the symptoms of West Nile virus infections?
80% of those infected do not exhibit symptoms. Some however, may elicit the following if they have mild illness:

IMAGE FROM RESERACHGATE
Rarely (1 in 150 people) may become seriously ill with neuroinvasive symptoms. These include:

Headache
Neck pain/Stiff neck
High fever
Sensitivity to the light (photophobia)
Tremors
Weakness
Paralysis
Confusion
Disorientation
Seizures
Coma
Death
Since mosquitos are the primary vector, avoiding them is paramount to limiting infection. We recommend the following:

Clean up areas of standing water around the house such as kiddie pools, puddles, buckets as they provide a breeding ground for mosquitos.